Any thoughts on what the Rams do next. Still have some huge holes to fill at both Safety spots and at WR.

Does anyone think there is a chance they bring back Quentin Mikell.

Not sure about Mikell. But a lot of mocks and analystshave started pointing towards Tavon Austin at the 22nd pick for the Rams. I would absolutely love for that to happen. I think he makes an immediate impact in the NFL.

Not sure about Mikell. But a lot of mocks and analystshave started pointing towards Tavon Austin at the 22nd pick for the Rams. I would absolutely love for that to happen. I think he makes an immediate impact in the NFL.

I like most of your picks. However, I must say I would be extremely surprised if the Rams took Barner. He is virtually a carbon copy of both Richardson and Pead. Fisher does love the change of pace back, but he also loves the big strong back. I think we would be much more likely to take a back like Lattimore, Knile Davis, or Leveon Bell.

I also REALLY like Kyle Long in the second, and I wouldn't put it past us to go that route and follow it up with a safety like Phillip Thomas.

I like most of your picks. However, I must say I would be extremely surprised if the Rams took Barner. He is virtually a carbon copy of both Richardson and Pead. Fisher does love the change of pace back, but he also loves the big strong back. I think we would be much more likely to take a back like Lattimore, Knile Davis, or Leveon Bell.

I also REALLY like Kyle Long in the second, and I wouldn't put it past us to go that route and follow it up with a safety like Phillip Thomas.

I thought about Kyle Long in the 2nd, but with the need at Safety and if they get a OG/OT in the first I don't see then taking one in the 2nd. Now if they don't take an OL in the first then yea I think Kyle Long would be a great choice.

With the RB position I agree it could be a number of players, I just think they will take one around that point in the draft. There seems to be a lot of RB's that are going to go from the 3rd to 5th round.

I thought about Kyle Long in the 2nd, but with the need at Safety and if they get a OG/OT in the first I don't see then taking one in the 2nd. Now if they don't take an OL in the first then yea I think Kyle Long would be a great choice.

With the RB position I agree it could be a number of players, I just think they will take one around that point in the draft. There seems to be a lot of RB's that are going to go from the 3rd to 5th round.

I agree that we probably don't take 2 linemen in the first 2 rounds. I have to say that I like a lot of players in this draft, more than usual. I also like Ogletree/Brown/Gooden in the 2nd or 3rd. I know one thing is for sure...this is going to be a fun draft!

I also still think we could trade down and move around some, which could add a pick or two. We are sitting in the perfect position at #22 to trade out of the 1st if someone wants to trade back into round 1 for Barkley/Glennon/Nassib.

The more I watch, the more I like Quinton Patton. He's a guy moving up my draft board. Does remind me a bit of former Ram, Torry Holt (no, i'm not saying he'll have the success Torry had.) If Rams choose not to select a Receiver in the first round, I'll be more than happy with Patton in the 2nd.

I'm still on the Ronnie Wingo bandwagon. He's 6'3 230 pounds and ran his forty in 4.46 seconds. Got to love that. Like I've said before, I love all three Arkansas Running backs.

I haven't found much tape on Wingo. Was he injured this season? He is like a lot of players...his measurables are off the charts, but his production is very pedestrian. Was he lost on the depth chart? Why did his yards per carry average drop from 6.0 to 4.4 between his sophomore and junior years? I do like his production in the passing game.

The more I watch, the more I like Quinton Patton. He's a guy moving up my draft board. Does remind me a bit of former Ram, Torry Holt (no, i'm not saying he'll have the success Torry had.) If Rams choose not to select a Receiver in the first round, I'll be more than happy with Patton in the 2nd.

If we are going to take a second tier WR I my favorite is Chris Harper. I just have a feeling about him...I think he is going to be a very good pro. I would love to take Austin in the 1st and Harper in the 3rd/4th.

This is a superior mock. You filled a lot of needs and did it with some high quality players. What's not to like?!

My only question is Shamarko Thomas. What do you know about him? Is he moving up the boards.....more of a free or strong safety or what?

WHAT SAY YE?

A lot of people want to throw the Bob Sanders comparison out there when it comes to Thomas. He hits like a sledge hammer, just not a big big fan of his because I question whether or not he can hold up in the NFL.

A lot of people want to throw the Bob Sanders comparison out there when it comes to Thomas. He hits like a sledge hammer, just not a big big fan of his because I question whether or not he can hold up in the NFL.

holt_bruce81,

Thanks for the info. Do you have any numbers on S. Thomas? Height, weight, etc....From what you say it looks like he can lay the wood on someone but how is he in pass defense?

I'm really kinda hoping we get a TRUE centerfielder type of free safety. No more Craig Dahls who get lost in pass defense. We can't afford those types of screw ups anymore.....

This is a superior mock. You filled a lot of needs and did it with some high quality players. What's not to like?!

My only question is Shamarko Thomas. What do you know about him? Is he moving up the boards.....more of a free or strong safety or what?

WHAT SAY YE?

Thanks for the kind words:-)

I have heard the knocks on Thomas because he is 5'8" and 213 and reminds everyone of Bob Sanders, who was hurt more than healthy. I think the skepticism is unwarranted, myself.

Bob Sanders weighed 200 pounds, and this guy has 13 pounds on him. With his build, if he was 6'2" he would weigh 230. So he is not a little guy. He is super strong, put up the bench 28 times at the Combine. He is just short. I don't see how being short translates into being injury-prone. Bob Sanders was injury prone because he was made of glass and was a really slow healer. I think everyone got it stuck in their mind that it was his size because they had never seen such a short safety before. He did miss a couple of games his senior season due to injury, but I wasn't able to find out more info. If anyone knows, please share.

Besides all that, the guy can flat out play. He is fast, smart, instinctive...he does go for the knockout too often, but I believe he has the intelligence and ability to transform that into being a sure tackler. His resume is full of nothing but award after award after award...player of the week, all-conference, blah blah blah. I am sold on him that he will be one of those guys that will continue to be great despite his lack of prototypical size.

It is pretty much a given that we need a receiver, and will take one in the draft come April. The two names that have been thrown around the most are Tavon Austin and Cordarrelle Patterson. Both have also been suggested by many different media writers.

Personally, I like Austin as my #1 choice. While he isn't very big and will always carry the "injury concerns" label until he proves otherwise, he is a dynamic playmaker that is a mismatch wherever he lines up. He not only tore up college football as a slot receiver (114/1289/12), but also rushed for over 600 yards and 3 TD's as well as being a dynamite punt and kick returner. I think he will be an immediate impact player at the next level.

Patterson is equally intriguing in a completely different way. He is big and fast and can stretch the field, is very good at highpointing the ball and outmuscling defenders. He is also very versatile as a returner and out of the backfield, though he was not as productive as Austin in any area. (Then again, who was?) While he is not on the same level as AJ Green or Julio Jones were coming out of college, I think his upside is equal. If he and Brian Quick were to both reach their potential we would have arguably the best tandem of outside receivers in the league for years to come.

I am still leaning towards Austin, and my reasoning is this...he gives us a different type of weapon that would give us more versatility and creativity in the passing game. I believe that he is polished enough of a player to come in immediately and fill the void left by Danny Amendola's signing with New England, and will ultimately become a better player than Danny was. His speed and quickness will draw defenses up and should aid in the development of Givens and Quick.

With Patterson, I have some concerns. While he brings the pedigree of an SEC school, Tennessee receivers have widely been a disappointment in the NFL. He is not a natural hands catcher, and only spent one year in Division I football, so I think his first year will bring a great learning curve. He is very similar in size, stature, and athleticism to Quick, so we would essentially be drafting somewhat of a clone (although I think he is more NFL ready that Quick was this time last year). In the long run we could end up with a great pair, but in the short term I could see our receiving corps looking a lot like Seattle's did a couple of years ago when they had so much talent yet no one was ready to step up and take the lead. With Austin, I think everything clicks sooner and we become a contender now.

My last concern with Patterson is his character. I know he has had some off-field issues, while I admittedly don't know exactly what they are or how serious they are. While Fisher and Snead have made it known that they are not afraid to give a second chance to a player, Austin is a high character guy who has never been in trouble, is very mild-mannered and humble, and extremely polite. While watching his this season he reminded me a lot of Desean Jackson, so you can imagine how surprised I was when I saw him interviewed at the Senior Bowl and his demeanor was nothing like DJack's. He was very soft-spoken, a quiet man who lets play do the talking. As much as I am all for giving a guy a break, you cannot have too many nice guys in your locker room. He is the kind of guy you want to root for, and I want to root for him every Sunday.

Additionally, I have been romanticizing the idea of taking Austin in the 1st and Marquess Wilson in the 5th. While Wilson is not the athlete that Patterson is, he is a lot better than he will be drafted. I see him being a Marques Colston type of player at the next level; not flashy, but dependable and a chain-mover. Wilson was highly productive before Mike Leach came to WSU, and he cost his draft stock a lot by walking off the team and throwing his coaching staff under the bus. That being said, I think he is a good kid and likely would have been in the 2nd round conversation with Hunter/Rogers/Woods had he stuck it out and kept his mouth shut.

So what do you guys think? Austin/Givens/Quick/Wilson/Pettis? It could become one of the better groups in the league.

After digging a bit deeper, I found another thing that is somewhat troubling. Patterson really did not shine as a receiver in the biggest games. In 9 games against big schools he put up 32/468/4. Against the SEC he had 26/375/3 in 8 games. Most startling: against South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Alabama, he had 14 receptions for 157 yards and 1 touchdown. Against Florida alone he had 8/75/1. He was nearly blanked in the other 3 games.

While the comparison is somewhat unfair because Patterson clearly played against tougher competition, Austin seemed to have some of his biggest games when it counted. 100 yard games against 5 big schools, as well as 4 other games with at least 79 yards receiving. While he didn't have a great receiving game against Kansas St., he still came up huge in the return game with 199 yards, including a 100 yard return for a touchdown. Really, his only poor game of the year was that debacle in the bowl game against Syracuse, when everyone stunk it up, and he was still a factor in the return game. This says a lot to me. It tells me that Austin will show up to play no matter what. I can't say the same for Patterson.

Ill take Hunter over Patterson. I don't think Patterson gets drafted nearly as high as some people think. The potential for him to bust is really high. I'd take Austin, Hunter, Hopkins, Allen and Patton all over him. I really question whether or not he'll be able to grasp an NFL playbook.

Ill take Hunter over Patterson. I don't think Patterson gets drafted nearly as high as some people think. The potential for him to bust is really high. I'd take Austin, Hunter, Hopkins, Allen and Patton all over him. I really question whether or not he'll be able to grasp an NFL playbook.

Yeah, the more I delve in the less I like him, as a high pick anyway. If he were to fall to, say, the 3rd round, then you could call him a steal.

Ill take Hunter over Patterson. I don't think Patterson gets drafted nearly as high as some people think. The potential for him to bust is really high. I'd take Austin, Hunter, Hopkins, Allen and Patton all over him. I really question whether or not he'll be able to grasp an NFL playbook.

I'm liking Hunter, Austin and Hopkins as well. Need to see Keenan Allen run first to see where he needs to be slotted.

Patton is another guy that seems to be moving up boards. I wonder if he'll have an AJ Jenkins leap and end up at the end of the first round. Doubt it but strange things happen every year.

BTW why do you think Patterson will have a hard time grasping an NFL playbook? Patterson had to learn Tennessee's offense and they run an upscale pass offense and are certainly don't fool with the spread or run and shoot junk, so I am not following you here.

P.S. I realize that Brian Quick has had these concerns last year but his situation is much different than Cordarelle Patterson's.

I'm liking Hunter, Austin and Hopkins as well. Need to see Keenan Allen run first to see where he needs to be slotted.

Patton is another guy that seems to be moving up boards. I wonder if he'll have an AJ Jenkins leap and end up at the end of the first round. Doubt it but strange things happen every year.

BTW why do you think Patterson will have a hard time grasping an NFL playbook? Patterson had to learn Tennessee's offense and they run an upscale pass offense and are certainly don't fool with the spread or run and shoot junk, so I am not following you here.

P.S. I realize that Brian Quick has had these concerns last year but his situation is much different than Cordarelle Patterson's.

WHAT SAY YE?

I do like Patton, but I don't see him truly fitting either role. He isn't as explosive or elusive as Austin, nor is he big and strong like Hunter/Patterson/Woods. He strikes me as the player who does a lot of things well but isn't great in any area. Reminds me of Andre Roberts.

I'm not impressed with Keenan Allen at all. I think he is slow and will have a lot of trouble finding separation at the next level.

Quick had never had a playbook in college, from what I recall. He should make big strides this season. With Patterson, I think he needs a lot of fundamental work, especially catching the ball with his hands. He very much strikes me as the player that has found success everywhere he went on his talent alone, but has had no real coaching. So the upside is definitely there, it is just a matter of whether or not he takes to the practice field and the classroom.